Oh God, the power. Razer, once a company that throws subtlety out the window, is trying to make you happy with one of the rarest mice it has ever designed. The PC gaming brand advertises its $1,337 mouse (yes, that’s meant to be spelled “L33T”) in the kind of “leetspeak” we relegated to the internet’s dustbin two decades ago.
The limited edition Razer Boomslang 20th Anniversary Edition is not the type of mouse that is meant to be used. Its price would have you thinking that the ambidextrous snake-shaped mouse is 24K gold-plated or that its parts are crafted with the expertise of an indentured Oompa Loompa (and since it’s Razer, it’s likely to be green rather than orange). Instead, the mouse includes a PU leather button on the left- and right-click. Those things also wrap around the back just above a nice eight-zone strip of RGB lighting on the bottom edge. The sickly green plastic finish of the original Boomslang has been replaced with a deep emerald green.
The original mouse was invented back in 1999 by PC pioneers like Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff back when the company was owned by Kärna. Krakoff died that same year at the age of 81, although Razer’s current CEO Min-Liang Tan was also involved in the development of Boomslang. Of course, with that pedigree, the company will give its old mouse a big party. That doesn’t mean the price is easy to swallow. Razer announced this mouse back in December of last year, so technically it’s out of the 20th anniversary. Either way, it’s an important thought.
This Boomslang is a mouse wearing DeathAdder skin
This iteration of the Boomslang is a modern mouse in many ways except the shell. The new Boomslang takes many of the same strengths from the company’s latest DeathAdder V4 Pro—a high-end gaming mouse with an optical sensor (no more mechanical ball tracking) and a best-in-class 45,000 DPI. Compare that to the original Boomslang, which reached 2,000 DPI, which isn’t enough for professional gaming today, but led the competition back in 1999. Razer’s limited edition mouse also sports the same 8,000Hz polling rate as the DeathAdder V4 Pro, which is the fastest PC mouse ever.
Like the DeathAdder V4 Pro, the 20th anniversary Boomslang uses Razer’s modern switches. I’ve enjoyed this Gen 4 replacement for the V4 Pro enough to know they’ll feel good in this $1,337 mouse. There are eight other customizable controls on the mouse, including two buttons on either side of the wheel and port and the mouse starboard itself. Unlike the original Boomslang, the new model comes with a stand that doubles as a wireless charging dock and a 2.4GHz connection to your PC.
Razer told Gizmodo that the new Boomslang is so expensive not just because of the meme, but because it’s really limited. The company only made 1,337 of these. It will come with its own special PU leather case to help it serve as a staple item for PC game collectors. Here’s the rub: this mouse isn’t meant to be your daily driver, or your elite gaming mouse that you pull out when you want to smash faces. Not only does it eschew the ergonomic mouse innovation of 20 years ago, but its faux leather material is also not designed to ease your Cheeto fingers for hours on end.
The company said that if users take care of it and wash it after using it, it should last for a while. Still, it’s best to think of the new Boomslang as the main model for your gaming setup, perhaps filling you with fond memories of when to use the “L33T” for something else. Pre-orders are set to begin Feb. 10 at 11 am ET / 8 am PT.
